Spring clamp



July 18, 1950 s. J. BARIL. 2,515,849

' SPRING CLAMP Filed June 2e, 1947y INVENTOR (f1/1405A J 54PM ATTORNEYSPatented July 18, 1950 SPRING CLAMP ySamuel i Baril, Brooklyn, N. Y.,assignor to The Hobar Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation l of NewYork y Application June 26, 1947, Serial No. 757,132

` (Ci. 24u-137) y 2 Claims. i 1 l Thev present. invention relates toSpring clamps and, more particularly, to the type of such clamp commonlyreferred to as a spring c1othespin; and `has for va general. object the,provision of such a clampv which, as is usual, is characterized by aspring device including a helical spring portion located inopposedcooperating transverse notches in they jaw elements, with the provisiontherein of simple but effective means for preventing any substantiallylateral movement of either jaw element relative t that helical springportion, i.V e., longitudinal movement of 4the lat-- ter with respect tothe jaw elements, so as effectively to eliminate a rather commontendency for the jaw elements to slide laterally with respect tothathelical springA portion and each other and, as a consequence, to becomedisassembled.,

`A morespecificlobject `of the invention is to provide in the opposedcooperating transverse notches in the ,jaw elements of such a springclamp suitable projecting `means to intervening turns of the helicalspring portion of the spring device which holds the jaw elementstogether and biases themtoward each other, so as eifectively tominimizelateralmovement of the jaw elements with respect to that helicalspring portion and to each other. i

Another object 'of the present invention is to provide such means :forvpreventing relative lateral movement of the parts of such a spring clampin the nature of a plurality of ridges on the curved surfaces of theopposed cooperating transverse notches in the jaw elements so as to formtogether grooves in which successive turns of the helical spring portionmay be received and securely seated to prevent relative lateral movenment of parts.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a, structuralembodiment of the device which is readily constructed and permitsefficient use and operation thereof.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplied in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims. f

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an edge view of an embodiment of the spring clamp of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner face of one of the jaw elements ofthe structure shown in Figs. l and 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line --fl of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing like numerals identify similar parts throughoutand, as will be seen therefrom, an embodiment of the present inven tionmay comprise a pair of jaw elements I0, I0 which are of similarconstruction. Each jaw element I0 includes a mid portion IIhaving in theinside face thereof a transversely extending semi-circular groove I2located substantially intermediate of its two ends with one end I3providing a depressible handle or grasp and the other end I4 providing aclamping nose. As is usual, each jaw element I0 is provided with atransversely extending groove l5 in its outer face between its midportion II and its clamping nose I4.

The two jaw elements I0, I0 are pivoted together with their clampingnoses I4, I4 biased toengagement with each other by a spring device IBwhich includes a transversely extending, helical portion I'I made up ofa relatively large number of successively arranged, circular turns andterminating at each end insimilar spring arm structures I8, I8. As shownin Figs. 1 and 2, each spring arm structure I8 is extended forward alongthe edges of the two jaw elements Ill, Il), and has its end I9 turnedinwardly to lie transversely in one of the grooves I5 in the outer faceof one of the jaw elements. With the parts assembled, as shown in Figs.1 and 2, the spring device I6 eiectively pivots together the two jawelements I0, I0 with their clamping noses I4, I4 biased to engagementwith each other.

In order to avoid any tendency for either of the jaw elements I0, I0becoming askew with respect to the other jaw element, with a possibleresultant tendency for disengagement of one of the turned ends I9 ofspring side arm I8 moving laterally out of its seating groove I5, thepresent invention concerns itself with keeping those two jaw elementssubstantially aligned, as indicated in Figs. l and 4, with a retentiontherebetween in proper position of the helical portion I'I of the springdevice. This is preferably accomplished by providing each semi-circular,transversely extending notch l2 with a plurality of longitudinallyextending ridges 2D2IJ which cooperate to provide therebetween aplurality of longitudinally extending grooves 2|2|. Such ribs andintervening grooves are most conveniently formed when the jaw elementsI0, l0 are molded from suitable plastic material, but of course, theycan be formed by cutting grooves in the older, more common type ofspring clamp jaw elementsgwhichare formed of wood.

As is `more particularly shown in `Fig. 4, the plurality oflongitudinally extending ribs or ridges 20-20 and intervening grooves2l-2l provide suitable means to intervene successive turns of thehelical spring portion l1 so as to prevent or minimize longitudinalmovement of the latter with respect to rjaw elements 10, 'til'. A

The turns of the helical spring portion I 'i seat in the grooves 2|2|with the ribsr ridgesfgfz interdigitating those successive turns. Ofcourse, it will be understood that the number of grooves 2 I--Zlprovided by the ridges or ribs 20-20 need not, Yfor `the purposes of thepresent invention, substantialy-equal :the number of 'tur-ns in thehelical` springiportion 1M 7although such `arrangement as that proposedin Fig. 4 is preferred. Eor exampladwith the .-jaw element structures'.p-roposed in -thedrawingfa spring Adevice .which .has a helicalportion consisting of, for example, `only three/or four turns 'willassure -cooperative -functioning of that ridge and groove constructionin minimizing :longitudinal movement -oi the 'latter with respect-to-jaw' elements 40, 4U. istrue, since-with a spring device of -that typewherein only a `few lhelical 4tur-ns are providedfthose turns will, atone oiwmorepoints,engage-incertain or" the grooves, particularly if the-wid'th lof -the grooves areatleastsubstantially equal to-the Adiameterof `:the sp-ring wi-re from f which -the spring device -isfor1necl. Itwill -'be-further understood that thedesired results `may be-obtained ina construction where V`the ridges or -ri-bs 2er-n2@ rdo not extendsubstantiailynormal*to the axis of the notch or groove I2, such Vasdiagonally -or obliquely-withrespect thereto, and, of course -thoseridges or ribs need not extend completely across the curved surtaceof-eachspring-receptive notch I2; and vthat variousmodiediorms-of'thatstructure which mig-ht be yemployedtoaclvantage -in Iobtaining-theVvdesirederui will readily occur -to one skilled in -the art.

-It willthus bevseen-thatvthe objects set forth above, including -thosemade apparent 1from the claims are intended to cover all of the genericand specific features of the invention herein described, and allstatements of the scope of the yinvention which, as a matter oflanguage, might Abe said to falll therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In, a spring clamp of the type characterized by a -pair of rigid jawelements pivoted together by a spring device including a portionlocatedrin opposed l cooperating "transverse notches vin the jawelements, ithe feature comprising, Vin com bination, anelongated'1-helical spring portiondis-l posed in'theopposednotches'ofthe jaw elements, and a pluralityof `ridges v-formedgonthe"walls of the...notches arranged' substantially transversely of -the notches vtointervene' 'turnsof 4the helical spring portion -to minimizelongitudinal imove# nient of the latter with -lrespect said-jawelements. Y y 4 l V2. :In a spring clampof the type-characterized by apair of rigid jaw elements f pivoted together by a spring device'including a portion locatedjin opposed cooperating transverse notches inythe jaw elements, the :feature @merging :in 09mbination, anelongatedhelical spring'pqrtionlof a certain number oi relativelyadjacent snucces-y sive turns disposed v in the pp posed notches oftheiaw elemehtapandpa plurality @substantially parallel ridgesio'rmeyd'onthe Walls of the notches to denne therebetween ua Ypluralityv,of adjacent grooves extending @$10.55 'lie P..OQhES .gpluy normal 'tothe axis of fthe 'helicalspring portion with the successive turns A,ofmelateriqetedgr the grooves t0 minimize lensitrdinaltmgremeet Of/ thehelc SP1," ing PQIIQH .Wll'l .ReQt tpt jaw elements.

afreagpreferences cited.

